The Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOS) is a non-profit organization whose goal is orangutan conservation and rescue. Orangutans are only found in the jungles of Borneo and Sumatra, are one of the most intelligent primate species, as well as one of the most critically endangered. I had the opportunity to visit their rehabilitation centre outside of Palangkara, Central Kalimantan today on my day off. This is where orangutans rescued from areas impacted by fire, logging, and clearing of forests for palm plantations are first brought. Once they arrive at the BOS, they are assessed for health and wellness, treated for any ailments, and are socialized with other orangutans in socialization "school". Upon graduation from school, they are relocated back into wildlife and rainforest preserves at various other locations in Borneo. To date, the BOS has helped to rescue over 1,000 orangutans and re-introduce them into the wild. In another post I will detail a visit to one of their many release locations. . . . . #borneo#kalimantan#palangkaraya#indonesia#orangutan#primate#endangered#natgeo#conservation#animalrescue#wildlife#nature#worklife#ngo#nonprofit#travel#travellife#explore#adventure#backpack#worldtraveller

Let’s talk conservation in just pure numbers and cut right to the chase. There are approx 100,000 active resident hunters in this province (many more anglers I suspect). I pay approx $380/year to renew my licences (most hunters I’ve found are also anglers), tags and memberships for hunting, fishing and trapping (this is not including LEH). If each active hunter spends even just half of that amount each year (some pay out much more), that equates to $19 million dollars annually through permit fees alone. Money that goes back into the Ministry of Environment’s coffers to help fund Conservation Officers, Wildlife Biologists and enhancement programs to name a few. Now consider that the majority of hatchery and habitat restoration volunteers come directly from the hunting, fishing and trapping community as well as critical information provided to the ministry though these outdoors men and women to help craft a more effective wildlife management plan for the province. Forget about the inherent responsibility as stewarts of the land that most outdoors folks take on - if those numbers alone don’t reflect positive impact upon fish and wildlife in this province, I don’t know what does. - #peta#blowhards#yourgrandpawasahunter#youareherebecauseofhunters#huntersareconservationists#conservation#hunting#proudhunter#fishing#angler#trapping#outdoors#wildlife#residenthunter#fieldtofork#whatgetsyououtdoors#itsinmynature#huntinglicense#fishinglicense#wildlifemanagement

Today marks #worldpangolinday. Pangolins are one of the world's most heavily trafficked mammals. Over 100,000 pangolins have been victims of illegal wildlife trade since 2011. The Indian pangolin (Manis crassudata), is one of the four species found in Asia. It is distributed across Pakistan, and has been declared endangered in 2009 by the IUCN. Despite being protected under the Islamabad Wildlife Ordinance1975 and the North West Frontier Province Wildlife Act 1975, this species is rapidly declining as a result of poaching for lucrative international trade. Pakistan lies along a strategic air and sea route, forming a gateway to East Asia, which makes it a major source and transit country for this trade. Due to increasing demand for meat, scales and derived products, the Indian pangolin remains one of the highest trafficked species sourced from Pakistan. But if pangolins are not protected, they will soon be extinct. According to the IUCN estimates, if the current trends continue over 50 per cent decrease in the global pangolin population will occur over the next 21 years. Like every other species they are integral to keep a balance in nature. If they go extinct, it will result in a population explosion of white ants and other harmful insects. WWF-Pakistan is working in close coordination with the provincial wildlife departments to protect them. The most recent project of WWF-Pakistan involves conserving the Indian pangolins by addressing critical data gaps regarding the illegal wildlife trade, weak deterrence for smugglers, lack of government resources, and lack of interagency coordination. The project will aid in developing integrated pangolin conservation and management interventions. . . #wwf#wwfpak#pakistan#worldpangolinday#saveourspecies#savingnature#togetherpossible#illegalwildlifetrade#wildlife#conservation

#hunting application season is a time I really enjoy. It’s a mix of nerdy analysis and fantasy of future hunts. Moving to #colorado has added to the challenge and especially he opportunities!! It’s all about statistics, analysis, maps, logistics, terrain and #conservation . These late nights studying may or may not make any difference in a successful hunt but it’s a part of being a #hunter that makes the journey so rewarding. #onxmaps#gohunt#muledeer

Swipe ➡️ for more photos of the hunt sequence. ‘ This kite hovers above looking for its prey, on seeing something that catches its attention, stops hovering around and keeps flying at the same location to get a clear picture . Once it zeroes down on the kill, it swoops down swiftly and makes a successful kill. ‘ Clicked this sequence with various stages of this hunt at #mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu India close to the shoreline. ‘ The black-winged kite (#ElanusCaeruleus) is a small diurnal bird of prey in the family Accipitridae best known for its habit of hovering over open grasslands in the manner of the much smaller kestrels. This kite is distinctive, with long-wings, white, grey and black plumage and owl like forward-facing eyes with red irises. This long-winged raptor is predominantly grey or white with black shoulder patches, wing tips and eye stripe. The long falcon-like wings extend beyond the tail when the bird is perched. The word Elanus is from Ancient Greek elanos for a "kite". The specific epithet caeruleus is the Latin for "blue. This is the E. c. vociferus found from Pakistan to east China, Malay Peninsula and Indochina ‘ The black-winged kite is a species primarily of open land and semi-deserts in sub-Saharan Africa and tropical Asia, but it has a foothold within Europe in Spain and Portugal. The species range appears to be expanding in southern Europe and possibly in West Asia. ‘ Their prey includes grasshoppers, crickets and other large insects, lizards, and rodents. Injured birds, small snakes and frogs have also been reported. The black-winged kite flies slowly during hunting like a harrier, but it will also hover like a Kestrel. It has on rare occasions been known to hunt prey in flight. ‘ #birdsofprey#blackwingedkite#raptors#birdsinflight#hunters#canon_photos #naturephotography#conservation#birds#naturestories#picoftheday#indianbirds#natureinstagram#instafacts#fascinatingnature#birdphotography#india